There
is no question that the greatest handguns of all time were
designed by John Moses Browning.The Colt 1911 and the Browning High Power
are excellent fighting pistols, proven in wartime, in police
duty, and in competition world wide. Long gun designs such as
the Auto 5 and the Winchester Model 94 may have made
Browning more money, but his fame and legend rest largely in
these magnificent fighting implements. Few wax emotional over
the ‘thutty-thutty’ or Sweet Sixteen. On the other hand,
speak a disparaging word or two concerning the 1911 and wait for
the fireworks to start. Strange, many critics of the 1911 tend
to holster handguns so ugly they must have fell from the ugly
tree and hit every branch on the way down!

The
Browning High Power is not only a popular handgun in its own
right, but a strong second favorite among 1911 shooters. This
acceptance of the High Power demonstrates more than a reverence
for John Moses Browning. It also shows an appreciation for a low
bore axis, reliability, good fit and finish, straight to the
rear single action trigger compression, and excellent human
engineering. The controls of either are well placed for rapid
manipulation and both pistols use identical operating
principles.I often
carry a High Power, and feel that the High Power 9mm is a better
choice than any other non 1911 pistol — including quite a few
.40s and any of the Combat Tupperware.

My
experience with the High Power spans decades, but has grown
considerably in depth and breadth in recent years. I have
learned that the High Power is not a difficult handgun to work
with.I find the
trigger system comes away from the frame rather easily, and the
deft touch needed to perform an action job on the High Power is
within the reach of ordinary mortals.The pistol is more robust with a steady diet of full
power loads, in my experience, than it is given credit for, and
can be more accurate than many will admit. Perhaps the longevity
of the pistol may be questioned, as steel was once softer and
loads hotter, but then I have used FM not FN type
pistols for most of my High Power shooting.

So,
I am not a novice with the High Power. I enjoy shooting the
piece and have carried the pistol on a professional basis. As
far as the clone pistols go, my opinions have been formed by
much experience with the FM and the FEG. The present FM I
regard as superior to the original Browning, with a redesigned
slide and safety and a good trigger action. The FEG is for the
fellow who wishes to own a High Power of the original type,
exhibiting a nice blue finish and stepped slide. The FEG is
rougher than the Belgian or Argentine versions internally, but
retails for less than the FM and half the price of a FN High
Power.I have
enjoyed some experience with the Israeli Kareen, but with
a single example in my experience I must reserve judgment.

The
Arcus handgun currently imported by Century
International Arms gave me pause. It looks like a High
Power, but the slide and frame differ in some regards. And that
is OK, so does the FM, especially my favorite FM Detective. But
the square cut slide of the Arcus looks like a modern design,
mimicking the SIG and Glock in profile. The Arcus
appears to be well made of good material, with good fitting and
polish.The sights
are a cross between true high visibility sights and the
embryonic sights found on military weapons. They are usable for
combat and precise enough when lined up properly. The safety is
positive in operation, of the new and improved ‘speed safety
class.’The
trigger is pleasingly smooth, breaking a clean four pounds. This
was unexpected from an economy pistol, as the original High
Power often exhibited a six to seven pound trigger compression.

The
slide is heavier than the original High Power, while retaining
the classic steps in the slide forward of the ejection port.There have been questions concerning the strength of the High
Power and suggestions that the pistols have sometimes been made
of soft steels. The FN Mauser bolt action rifles are
certainly strong enough as are the various machine guns built
and deployed with the FN stamp for many decades.I would not expect a jeep manufactured in 1952 to run
forever without a broken axle, and I am certain the British Army
and the SAS have the proverbial box of broken slides. But all
pistols break at some round count or the other, and all lines
have some specimens less robust than the other. My experience
indicates the High Power is nearly as robust as the 1911, given
regular maintenance. The High Power seems free of the Ka Booms
and ruptures that have been well documented with other types of
handguns. My friends in engineering tell me that the heavier
slide of the Arcus, which features a step that is not as steep
as the original High Power, should be stronger than the original
if the steel used is of equal quality. This only stands to
reason.The
Bulgarian Makarov and other firearms from Bulgaria have
proven suitable for hard use, so the Arcus has a good heritage.
The frame is also appropriately beefed up in comparison to the
original dimensions of the High Power. In other words, while the
FM is a license built High Power and accepts High Power parts,
and the FEG is a copy that sometimes requires fitting of
Browning Parts, the Arcus is a considerably different handgun.If you like the High Power but fear soft steel, then this
is the pistol to assuage your fears.

The
Arcus also features a squared trigger guard, which some like and
others do not. It gives the option of a solid grip by placing
the forefinger of the support hand on the front of the guard,
and hurts nothing. In general, it appears internal parts such as
the trigger are standard High Power but the heavier frame and
slide will not accept a Browning slide,frame or .22 caliber conversion unit as companions.

I
have found the High Power to be more feed reliable than the
piece is given credit for, but then modern ammunition is usually
of a design better suited to good feeding than early hollow
point designs. Overall, I have a good feeling concerning the
High Power and recommend the handgun highly for personal
defense.No, I am
not leaving my .45s behind but the High Power is a well designed
pistol that allows the skilled user as good a chance of
connecting quickly with a reasonably powerful cartridge as any
handgun on the planet.

I
was interested in how the Arcus would feed and function as well
as the accuracy potential of the piece.I was also interested in how subtle differences in weight
and size would manifest themselves in firing. The Arcus is
perhaps three ounces heavier than the original High Power. The
High Power is a very good handgun for rapid fire work, coming
from the holster and on the target quickly. I wished to see if
anything had been lost in altering the equation.

As
for altering the equation, don’t overlook the brilliance of
design inherent in the High Power. You may push the design
envelope too far, as has been done with some 1911s, and achieve
little but an unreliable handgun. There is an underlying
harmonious symmetry in the Browning designs that cannot be
demonstrated mathematically but which certainly exists. As it
turns out the Arcus maintains this symmetry well while achieving
good performance.

The
Arcus was field stripped and lubricated at the range. No
surprises, all Browning in the heart and soul. The piece was
supplied with two magazines. I was lucky to have on hand several
MecGar magazines, which made the going much easier. These
are high quality magazines used by many of the leading makers of
quality handguns. The thirteen rounders give an adequate reserve
of ammunition, although I would not feel naked before my enemies
with the still common ten round magazines.

All
of this gear was carried in a deluxe range bag from Bagmaster.
There is plenty of room for ammunition, a cleaning kit and
magazines to compliment the handgun. Ammunition choice was
simple. I have a standard procedure that shows the reliability -
or lack thereof - of handguns.I include cast bullet handloads, full metal jacket loads,
standard hollowpoints, and finally +P loads in the test program.
The less expensive loads are used for the most part to evaluate
the handgun’s handling, reliability, and overall acceptability
with a wide variety of loadings. I have used National Bullet
Company’s 122 grain flat point bullet with excellent
results, usually over either HS 7 or HP 38 powder. I stay around
1100 fps or less. This load functions even military handguns,
including most Lugers, and is accurate enough for small
game.

The
first few magazines were anti-climatic. After the expectation of
firing a new variant on a favorite handgun, the pistol performed
exactly as expected. There were no break-in malfunctions of any
sort, the pistol came out of the box running. I hosed down man
sized targets at moderate range, getting a feel for the Arcus.
The pistol is as fast on target as any High Power, offering the
"get on target fast and get a hit" quality we all know
and appreciate. After the initial acclimationI switched to Wolf brand Russian produced ball
ammunition. This ammunition is now offered with a new polymer
coated case, and I found the ammunition fed and chambered
smoothly. This full power 9mm ball ammunition functioned well in
the Arcus. There were no malfunctions in firing over 300 rounds
of this load. These rounds were expended by my cohorts, with
favorable comments.

I
switched to more precise shooting, firing at Shoot N C
registering targets at ten to fifteen yards, vying for a center
hit. This time, I used the Fiocchi 123 grain Combat
loading. Similar to the original truncated cone load popular in
Europe with the introduction of the 9mm cartridge, this is the
number one full metal jacket load in 9mm Luger, in my book.
Accuracy is outstanding, powder burn clean, and the bullet cuts
a full caliber hole. The sights of the piece proved well
regulated for the six o’clock load. At ten yards, it was no
mean feat to place the contents of an entire magazine in the X
ring. This load has more recoil than the practice loads, but the
piece was controllable. At fifteen yards, off hand, I fired a
ten shot three inch group into a Shoot N C. Every indication
from all shooters involved showed the pistol demonstrates
excellent hit probability.

Next,
I moved to standard velocity hollowpoint loads to verify feed
reliability. There are several 9mm loads I keep on hand, some
proven for accuracy and others for expansion.I fired a magazine each of the Federal 9B 115
grain JHP, the Speer Gold Dot 124 grain, Federal’s 147
grain JHP, and the Fiocchi 115 grain JHP. I fired these as
rapidly as possible while keeping a good sight picture in ten
round bursts at ten yards in order to measure the control of the
handgun while gauging feed reliability with hollowpoint
ammunition.

Here
are the results of my ten shot groups:

Federal
9B115 grain JHP

2.9
inch group

Federal
147 grain JHP

3.0inch group

Fiocchi
115 grain JHP

3.25
inch group

Speer
Gold Dot 124 grain

3.5
inch group

Moving
to the +P loadings, I brought out the heavy hitters. Cor Bon
has a well deserved reputation for producing loadings that
maximize the caliber. Many of us would not consider a 9mm Luger
for defense if we could not deploy a powerful loading from Cor
Bon.I was
interested to see how the Arcus would perform with this
ammunition. One of my High Powers will demonstrate almost 1,400
fps with the 115 grain Cor Bon load, well above the claimed
1,350 fps, and even my FM Detective breaks 1289 fps. So, my
expectations were high. At the same time, experience has shown
that some handguns begin to malfunction with +P loads. These
loads accelerate slide velocity to the point that the slide’s
movement outstrips the ability of the magazine to feed. My fears
would prove groundless. I also fired a sampling of the Speer
Gold Dot 124 grain +P load. This loading demonstrates an ideal
balance of expansion and penetration. This is the standard load
of the New York City Police Department. Feed reliability
was excellent. Either of the +P loads demonstrated greater
recoil than the standard velocity loads, but control was not
affected. A full size 9mm is controllable with +P loads, and
while the recoil and blast of the more powerful loads is
noticeable it does not present a control problem.

I
field stripped and cleaned the Arcus before progressing further,
running a number of patches through a now dirty bore and
applying lubricant. The pistol showed no signs of eccentric wear
or high spots after firing almost five hundred rounds of
ammunition. The National Institute of Justice sets forth
a three hundred round reliability criteria for police service
handguns, demanding three hundred continuous rounds between
cleaning and lubrication. The Arcus had met that criteria.

I
expanded the firing test to several other loadings. Frankly,
since I had a new 9mm on hand I thought this would be a good
opportunity to get the measure of several loadings I had little
experience with. The first load was the Cor
Bon PowRBall. This is a 100 grain hollowpoint with a
polymer ball in the nose. This design guarantees feed
reliability in any handgun that will feed ball ammunition.
Unlike the old BAT load, the polymer ball does not separate from
the hollow nose after it exits the barrel but stays with the
bullet on impact. This insures that the ball drives into the
bullet, insuring expansion. The projectile is driven at well
over 1450 fps. Expansion, as proven by the author in ballistic
media, is impressive. Frankly, even in pistols like the Arcus,
with good feed reliability, this is a fine load. A magazine full
was uneventful.

The
next load is the Cor Bon DPX or Deep Penetrating load. In answer
to those who demand more penetration from combat cartridges, Cor
Bon has introduced a fantastic loading. Using a solid copper Barnes
X bullet, this load propels a 115 grain JHP to a true 1265 fps
from the Arcus. This is an outstanding load, the single most
accurate loading tested and one that exhibits a good balance of
expansion and penetration. In ballistic testing, the DPX bullets
demonstrated good expansion. This is a good load for those
facing threats who may be wearing heavy clothing, or when facing
adversaries wise to the use of cover.

Next,
I set down to do accuracy testing with the Arcus. The sights are
fine for general use but target type sights are really needed
for good 25 yard work. Still, the piece turned in encouraging
groups. A combination of a decent trigger, a clear sky, and Hansen
Eagle Eye shooting glasses made the day. The groups are nothing
to be ashamed of on any count. Overall, I am impressed with the
Arcus pistol.I was
predisposed to like this pistol because I am a High Power fan,
true, but if there had been shortcomings I would have been
doubly disappointed! The controls are crisp and positive, the
trigger action acceptable, and every round fired in our six
hundred fifty round test fed, chambered, fed and ejected
normally. The pistol weighs in at 37 ounces, three more ounces
than my other High Powers, but it seems the heavy slide dampens
recoil to an extent.I
was able to fire this pistol with a greater degree of control in
rapid fire than either the FEG or FM variants on hand, and I
have quite a bit of time in the High Power. The difference in
recoil is not as readily perceived firing the pistol on its own
but when compared to the standard High Power in a side by side
test, the difference is obvious. Is the Arcus, then, the
ultimate High Power?Time will tell.The
piece has little history at this point but word of mouth and
shooter feedback is encouraging.My personal piece has found a home in my modest battery.

25
yard benchrest groups, Arcus 9mm Luger caliber handgun:

Load

Velocity (fps)

25-yard group

Cor
Bon 115 grain DPX

1265

2.0 inches

Federal
115 grain JHP

1149

2.5 inches

Fiocchi123 grain Combat

1190

2.6 inches

Cor
Bon 115 grain JHP

1373

3.25 inches

Speer
Gold Dot 124 grain +P

1235

2.8 inches

Anderson
Munitions 147 grain TC

965

1.9 inches

Handloads

Nosler
115 gr. JHP/HS-7

1255

2.25 inches

Gold
Dot 124 gr. JHP/Unique

1102

2.5 inches

NBC
122 gr. FP/HP-38

1090

3.25 inches

On
Holsters

The
Arcus is a bit of a stretch for standard High Power holsters.
Most is not all of the off the shelf brands will accommodate the
High Power.Strong
side holsters from Gould and Goodrich, as an example,
accommodated the Arcus but be certain the pistol’s squared
trigger guard does not conflict with your choice. This is a good
point in favor of patronizing a well stock shop. In custom
holsters, the Watch Six from Milt Sparks is well designed
inside the waistband holster from the shop offering the original
Summer Special. The Watch Six is of thinner leather than many
other Milt Sparks products, in order to allow the greatest
concealment potential. As such, it accepted the Arcus just fine.
After using the Arcus in this holster for a few months, it would
probably be a bit oversize for use with a standard High Power.
The Watch Six offers excellent fit and finish and while I am not
in favor of mismatching fit and handguns, the Arcus seemed to
like the Watch Six. This is a first class rig.

Accessories

From
CDNN we ordered a couple of the KRD marked 17 round High
Power magazines. I normally load these down just a little, with
fifteen rounds.It is a fact of physics that by downloading slightly we
decrease stress as much as ten per cent on the high capacity
magazine. I find sixteen rounds, with one in the chamber, an
adequate gun load. These magazines have proven reliable and of
high quality. The draw bar of the High Power rides close to the
magazine and a poor quality magazine will affect the trigger
action. When a custom shop such as the Action Works does
a High Power trigger action, they will also tune or polish each
magazine to the trigger bar. The KRD types worked just fine with
the Arcus.

The
proper drill in loading a high capacity magazine is to load two
or three cartridges then tap the back of the magazine against
the boot heel to be certain they seat properly, and continue as
the magazine is loaded, finally tapping the bottom of the
magazine to fully seat the cartridges. We followed this drill
and the magazine worked as advertised.

I
also changed the space age wrap around grips of the Arcus at one
point and substituted a set of walnut grips from the parts bin.
The look was pleasing to me but I am a minority. Others,
including my son, felt the finger groove grips supplied with the
pistol were much more pleasing in appearance. To each his own,
in the end it does seem I am able to fire the handgun more
efficiently with the original grips. But we do have the option
of changing the grips and all High Power grips fit the Arcus.
This is interesting, as we have discovered we sometimes have to
cut out a small section of custom grips to mate to the frame of
the FEG pistol.

R.K.
Campbell

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Click pictures for a larger version.

The
Arcus is a handsome pistol with many good features.

The
Arcus (left) is slightly larger and heavier than the Browning
High Power (right), but is light and handy enough. Note the Esmeralda
O’Sheehan grips on the Blue FEG High Power.

The
safety lever of the Arcus is handy, well placed, positive in
operation, and features
a positive detent in the slide.

The
front trigger guard of the Arcus is squared and serrated in
the custom style, offering excellent hold when the pistol is
grasped in the two-hand grip.

The
trigger of the Arcus is standard Browning fare, but smoother
and crisper than most. High Power trigger compression is not
often smooth, but this pistol features a smooth trigger.

The
slide and the frame of the Arcus (left) is noticeably larger
than the High Power (right), giving the pistol a predictable
margin of safety.

The
Arcus digested every type of hollow point without fail,
including the Speer Gold Dot and the Hornady XTP bullet.

Anderson
Munitions 9mm 147 grain FMJ-TC load, a Special Match load, did
indeed prove the single most accurate load tested.